CARY, N.C. - Colby Patterson when 2-for-4 with two runs and a RBI and Matt Cunningham went 2-for-4 with two RBI to pace Frederick Hustlers to a 9-2 win in the 2017 14U Labor Day Cup gold medal game on Monday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.

The Hustlers jumped out to an early lead in the championship game that they never relinquished and then piled on to put the game out of reach and secure this year's title.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, the Hustlers strung together three singles and a RBI groundout in the top of the second to widen the gap to 5-0 in their favor.

Stars 14U finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth after collection just one hit through the first four innings to cut the Hustlers lead to 5-1 but the Hustlers answered immediately in the bottom half, making it 6-1 with two doubles and a fielder's choice.

The Frederick Hustlers then added a three run sixth to take a 9-1 lead and put the game away for good.

Nick DeLisi threw a complete game for the Frederick Hustlers, allowing just five hits and two runs while striking out four in his seven innings of work.

For Stars 14U, Doyle went 2-for-3 with a run scored to lead his team offensively.

Bonnie Rockets Walkoff, Take Home 16U Cup Bronze Medal

Cary, N.C. - Bonnie Rockets claim the bronze medal at the 2018 USA Baseball 16U Cup after they defeated Wake White Sox 4-3 in walk-off fashion on Sunday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

The bronze medal game did not start off as a nail biter in the same way that it ended. In fact, the Bonnie Rockets were in charge for most of the game They got on the board early with an RBI single to center field by Michael Lewishall. By the fifth inning, they had a 3-0 lead over the White Sox.

The White Sox would not go down without a fight. They began the sixth inning with a double and a single. After an error by Bonnie Rockets' Josuel Santos, the White Sox were right back in it. They were down only a run by the end of the inning.

In the top of the seventh inning, the White Sox tied the game on a single to center fielder by Connor Sauls. That was all the offense they could muster in the inning and they would head into the bottom half of the inning tied at three.

But the Bonnie Rockets had their eyes set on a victory. Andy Alcantra doubled to drive in Josuel Santos and walked off the ballgame for the Bonnie Rockets.

Follow along on GameChanger and on Twitter, @USABEvents, for more information the 2018 USA Baseball 16U Cup.

In total, the Bonnie Rockets had six hits and three walks in the game. They took home bronze and finished the tournament 3-2.

Blue Chips Capture 16U Cup Gold

Their offense came to play after they took down Carolina Rebels 8-3

July 15, 2018

Cary, N.C. - The Blue Chips captured gold at the 2018 USA Baseball 16U Cup on Sunday after defeating Carolina Rebels by a score of 8-3 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Blue Chips displayed dominance throughout the entirety of the tournament, and the championship game was no exception. Their offense came out looking to be on a mission after they put up two runs in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of a Carolina Rebels error.

The runs would not stop there.

In the third inning, the Blue Chips put up another four runs on three hits, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch in the inning. In total, the Blue Chips scored eight runs on seven hits and six walks.

The Blue Chips pitching was also in top form for most of the ballgame. Blue Chips starting pitcher Bobby Duffy tossed 5.2 innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out three. He was relieved by Sean Kelly, who threw 1.1 innings of two-run ball (0 earned), striking out one and allowing two hits.

Offensive standouts for the Blue Chips were Matthew O'Neill and Sean Kelly. The pair combined to go 4-7 and were responsible for four of the eight Blue Chips runs scored in the game.

The Blue Chips finished the 16U Cup with a perfect 5-0 record.

Follow along on Twitter, @USABEvents, for more information the 2018 USA Baseball 16U Cup.

Carolina Rebels Advance to 16U Cup Gold Medal Game

CARY, N.C. - A start time of 8:00 a.m. didn't slow down either team in the Wake White Sox vs. Carolina Rebels matchup, as both teams came out swinging in Sunday's second semifinal.

Carolina tallied the first run of the day in the bottom of the first. Landen Harris hit an RBI single to right, and an Isaac Gonzales followed with an RBI double to left. A two-out RBI single from Justin Honeycutt extended the Rebels' lead to 3-0 heading into the second inning.

A four-run second inning furthered the Rebels' advantage to 7-0. RBI singles from Noah Lee, Joshua Rivera, and Gonzales helped give the team a cushion early in the contest.

Not going down without a fight, Wake White Sox's Joshua White hit an RBI single in the top of the third to cut the deficit to six. Following a three up, three down bottom half-inning for the Rebels, the White Sox were able to tally four more runs on the board in the fourth. Zachary Miller grounded out to score two, Connor Sauls followed with an RBI single and the Rebels' lead was cut to just two.

The Carolina Rebels struck back following a leadoff walk and two singles. Andrew Roberts stole home, and at the following at-bat, Lee was also able to steal home. A two-out Gonzales double made it a 10-5 ball game to close out the frame.

Wake responded yet again in the top of the fifth, scoring back-to-back runs courtesy of a Marcus Ouvry RBI single and a bases-loaded walk. A two RBI single grounder from Zach Miller cut Carolina's lead to just one.

The Rebels weren't done yet. Five back to back runs in the bottom of the fifth were just what the Rebels needed to put the game away. Two singles from Roberts and Brendan Cuthrell, a bases-loaded walk, an error and a Harris sac fly gave the Rebels the 15-9 lead heading into the sixth.

The Wake White Sox were able to score two more on an error, but a strikeout ended the threat.

The Carolina Rebels will face the Blue Chips at 11:00 a.m. on Coleman Field in the gold medal game. The Wake White Sox will battle the Brooklyn Bonnie Rockets for bronze at the same time on Field 2 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

They were backed up by an incredible pitching performance by Tyler Schimming

July 15, 2018

Cary, N.C. - The Blue Chips move on to the 2018 USA Baseball 16U Cup championship game on Sunday after defeating the Brooklyn Bonnie Rockets by a score of 6-1 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Tyler Schimming was dominant for the Blue Chips. He turned in an impressive seven innings of one-run ball, while allowing just four hits and striking out eight. He needed 96 pitches to throw the complete game.

The two teams battled back and forth, with neither gaining much ground for much of the first half of the game. The Blue Chips were first on the board with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the second inning, but the Rockets quickly answered back with a run of their own in the fourth inning.

It wasn't until the bottom of the fourth inning that the Blue Chips started to pull away. Joe Radek hit a two-run inside-the-park home run to break the tie, and the Blue Chips didn't look back. Schimming did not allow a run for the rest of the game and Sean Kelly gave the Blue Chips some much needed insurance runs with a bases clearing double in the sixth inning.

Joe Radek and Sean Kelly went a combined 4-5 in the game and were responsible for five of the six Blue Chips runs.

The Blue Chips will square off against the Carolina Rebels in the championship game at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.

Follow along on GameChanger and on Twitter, @USABEvents, for more information and live updates about the 2018 USA Baseball 16U Cup.

Carolina Rebels Continue 16U Cup Dominance With 10-4 Win

The offense came to play after they defeated Brooklyn Bonnie Rockets to move on to the semi-final game

July 14, 2018

Cary, N.C. - Carolina Rebels' offense showed out as they defeated Brooklyn Bonnie Rockets by a score of 10-4 on Saturday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

Brooklyn Bonnie Rockets were the first to get on the board after they scored a run in the top of the first inning courtesy of an RBI triple by Andy Alcantra. After their first two games at the 16U Cup, it looked like the Rockets were lined up to have yet another dominant game, but that couldn't have been further from the truth.

The Carolina Rebels battled right back in the bottom half of the inning with a run of their own and after holding the Rockets to nothing in the second inning, they began to pile on the runs.

The Carolina Rebels scored three runs in the bottom of the second on two hits, two walks, and a sacrifice fly. Their offense would not slow down after that. They went on to record five hits, ten walks, and ten runs in total in the game.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn Bonnie Rockets struggled to muster up much offense of their own until the final inning, when they scored two runs in an effort to make a comeback. They would fall to the Carolina Rebels by a final score of 10-4.

The offensive standout for the Carolina Rebels was Joshua Rivera. Rivera was a big factor in the swing of momentum in the ballgame after he doubled to widen the gap and give the Rebels a three-run lead in the second inning. The ball left his bat at 89 mph and traveled 319 feet. In total, Rivera was 1-3 at the plate with 3 RBI and a run scored.

On the defensive side of the ball, reliver Lance Lockamy tossed six impressive innings allowing just one run to score until the final inning, when Brooklyn Bonnie Rockets would score two more before the final out. Lockamy allowed two earned runs in total while walking three and striking out seven in the ballgame.

The Carolina Rebels will play for a chance to make it to the gold medal game when they square off against the Wake White Sox tomorrow at 8 a.m. ET in one of the two semi-final games. Brooklyn Bonnie Rockets also will play in a semi-final game as they face off against the Blue Chips at 8 a.m. ET.

Follow along on GameChanger and on Twitter, @USABEvents, for more information and live updates about the 2018 USA Baseball 16U Cup.

Superstitions: Just Another Part of the Game

The Brooklyn Bonnie Rockets have a unique pre-game ritual that means so much more

July 13, 2018

CARY, N.C. - Friday the 13th is synonymous with superstitions. In the game of baseball, superstitions and rituals are just part of everyday life.

For the Brooklyn Bonnie Rockets, this is especially true.

Before every matchup, you can see a cluster of gray jerseys huddled in a tight circle in the outfield - or you can hear them.

"We just talk through our game plan and what we want to do better than we did the game before," says Samuel Camela.

That may be an understatement, as cheering and clapping can clearly be heard from the stands as the Bonnies run through the game plan, the lineup, and the roles of each player on the team.

"We have like a rhythm to it," pitcher Randy Rincon says. "It usually gets pretty hype."

The team then breaks it down, where the bond they share becomes obvious.

"Coach makes sure everyone's head is in the game, and then we clap it up. He says, 'play hard' bring it in' - then he says '1, 2, 3' and the team responds 'Bonnies', and finally he says '4, 5, 6' and the team says 'family'," says assistant coach Joel Santos.

"They say family because this team has been together since they were seven years old. They're all like brothers, and they're part of a happy, dysfunctional family. The bond they have means a lot," he continued.

If you have an opportunity to hang around in the dugout for a while, you'd see the family bond that Santos describes. The aura of the dugout during games is an interesting mix of jokes and conversations mixed in with game reactions.

You'd also find that they make you a part of that happy family while you're there.

Whatever the meaning of the ritual is, it's working - the Bonnies are currently sitting 2-0 after the first day of games at the 16U Cup.

Inside the Park Home Run Gives Blue Chips Momentum for Game of the Day Win

July 13, 2018

CARY, N.C. - Friday's Game of the Day was highlighted by an impressive outing offensively and defensively for the Blue Chips.

They struck first in the top of the third and never looked back. With two outs, Joe Radek smacked an inside the park home run to centerfield giving his team a 3-0 lead early on, but the Blue Chips weren't done yet. Jouseph Rodriguez connected with the ball for an RBI line drive single and the Blue Chips had a 4-0 cushion heading into the bottom half of the inning.

The Blue Chips came out swinging again in the top of the fourth, sending three runners across the plate. Sean Conway tripled on a fly ball to right to send Phil Winfield home, and at the next at-bat, Kristopher Lotharp launched an RBI single to center, extending the lead 6-0 with no outs. Following a double play, Lotharp was able to score on a Bobby Duffy ground out.

In the top of the fifth, the Blue Chips were able to tally yet another run on the board. Following a leadoff triple from Joe Radek, Matthew O'Neill hit an RBI single to center, extending the lead 8-0.

The exclamation point for the Blue Chips came in the top of the seventh, when Tyler Schmming crossed the plate on an error by the first baseman to make it a 9-0 game. Rodriguez was able to score on a wild pitch later in the frame to give the Blue Chips a 10-0 advantage.

The Wake White Sox were able to record a hit in the first, sixth, and seventh innings, but that was all the offense could muster.

Blue Chips pitcher Andrew Rickard was lights out on the bump, allowing just two hits and striking out seven in 5.1 innings of work.

Following the contest, the Blue Chips move to 2-0 in the tournament and the Wake White Sox fall to 1-1. Both teams will resume play on day two of the tournament, with the Blue Chips facing the TPA Nationals and the Wake White Sox battling MVP. Both start times are slated for 8:00 a.m. at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. Follow along on GameChanger and on Twitter, @USABEvents.

NW Elite Claims Bronze in 2018 USA Baseball 14U Cup

July 8, 2018

CARY, N.C. - Following a heartbreaking loss in the semifinal NW Elite was able to bounce back and defeat the East Coast Clippers to claim bronze in the 2018 USA Baseball 14U Cup.

Both teams were able to send a runner across the plate in the first. With two outs in the top half of the inning, Kai Francis tripled on a line drive to left field and in the bottom half, East Coast Clippers centerfielder Michael Gupton scored on a grounder from third baseman JT Deichmueller to tie things at one after the first inning.

NW Elite would then go on to take control of the ballgame.

In the top of the second, Samuel Novotny sent Chandler Tuupo home on a fielder's choice, and a bases loaded walk made the score 3-1. With the bases still loaded in the following at bat, Colton Bower hit a fly ball and was able to reach third on an error, scoring Novotny, JR Ritchie, and Hayden Dearie in the process.

A pair of runs in the third and fourth gave NW Elite an 8-1 advantage.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, the East Coast Clippers began to chip away at the deficit courtesy of a 2 RBI Luke Evans double, cutting NW Elite's lead to 8-3. In the following inning Freddie Oliver sent two teammates across on a 2 RBI single to right, and just like that, the East Coast Clippers were down by just three.

NW Elite was able to respond in the top half of the penultimate inning on an Alvarado single, giving them a 9-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh.

The Clippers were unable to send another runner across the plate and their late rally fell short, sending NW Elite home with the bronze. Following the contest, NW Elite and the East Coast Clippers finished 4-1 and 3-2 in the tournament, respectively.

Game on Roundtrip Secures 14U Cup Gold in Dominating Fashion

The first hit of the day came from third baseman Cannon Whatley. In the next at bat, first baseman Ty Dalley singled, scoring Kameron Edge, who was walked earlier in the frame. With two outs, Mason Mikell doubled on a hard ground ball to center, sending teammates Whatley and Daley home. With the bases loaded and one out in the half inning left to spare, Luke Holland was walked extending Game on Roundtrip's lead to 4-0.

NC Baseball Academy's Kasen McCawley was able to get on base in the bottom half of the inning on a ground ball single, but it was all the offense could muster.

In the top of the second, Felix smacked an RBI double right down the third baseline to widen the gap 5-0. Harrison Simmons followed with an RBI double of his own in the top of the third, furthering the lead to 6-0.

NC Baseball Academy was able to load the bases in the bottom half of the inning on walks, but a double play from Mikell to Edge ended the threat.

Following a scoreless fourth inning, Mason Mikell connected with the ball for his second double of the day to widen the gap 7-0. In the following at bat, Holland hit a fly ball and an error sent Mikell across the plate to put another run on the board. Game on Roundtrip was able to add two more runs courtesy of a two RBI single from left fielder Harrison Simmons to make it 10-0 heading into the final half inning of the gold medal game.

With NC Baseball Academy unable to tally a run in the bottom of the fifth, Game on Roundtrip secured gold in a dominant fashion. The gold medalists dropped just one contest all weekend and finished the tournament with a 4-1 record. Runner-up NC Baseball Academy finished 3-2 following their final game.

Cary, N.C. - NC Baseball Academy Red Sox (NCBA) are headed to the 2018 USA Baseball 14U Cup championship game after defeating East Coast Clippers on Sunday by a score 12-6 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

East Coast Clippers looked to be in command for the first third of the game after they held NCBA to no runs over the first two innings and jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. NCBA began to battle back in the third inning when they sent three men across the plate to take the lead. The two teams would go on to battle back and forth and the game remained close for much of the action.

NCBA held a comfortable three run lead headed into the sixth inning, but East Coast Clippers showed heart. They put a runner on base, and after a clutch two-run inside-the-park home run by the speedy center fielder Michael Gupton, Elite Coast Clippers found themselves within one run headed into the seventh. But their comeback would fall short after they allowed NCBA to score six runs in the top half of the inning.

NCBA allowed a run in the seventh but otherwise had no issues finishing the game off strong. They will play Game on Roundtrip in the gold medal game on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET on Coleman field.